A game away from a third Wimbledon championship and ninth Grand Slam title, Novak Djokovic sized up a 108 mph serve from none other than Roger Federer and stretched to smack a cross-court forehand return winner.

When her opponent's final shot sailed out, Serena Williams wasn't sure whether the match was over or not. It took a few seconds before the realization sunk in -- not only had she won her sixth Wimbledon title, but her bid for another "Serena Slam" was complete.

It's not all that often that someone can play so well and still lose in straight sets.
That's what Andy Murray will have to live with, because the 2013 Wimbledon champion produced a solid performance Friday on Centre Court but still lost to an almost-otherworldly Roger Federer in the semifinals at the All England Club.

Even as Serena Williams piled up aces and groundstroke winners from all angles, even as she stormed through seven games in a row and 10 of the last 13 in yet another comeback, her Wimbledon quarterfinal against Victoria Azarenka never felt like a runaway.

Decades ago, when the Williams sisters were kids in California, taking tennis lessons from Dad on a municipal court and imagining playing at Grand Slam tournaments one day, it was Venus -- older, taller, stronger -- who usually beat Serena.

Temperamental Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios slammed swimming legend Dawn Fraser as a "blatant racist" Tuesday after she told him to "go back to where his parents came from" following his stormy Wimbledon exit.